• STELLIGERIDAE Lendenfeld, R. von 1897. Die Clavulina der Adria. Nova Acta Academiae Caesareae Leopoldino-Carolinae Germanicae Naturae Curiosorum 69: 1-251 pls 1-12.

History of changes

• Higginsia Higgin, T.H. 1877. Description of some sponges obtained during a cruise of the steamyacht Argo in the Caribbean and neighbouring seas. Annals and Magazine of Natural History 4 19: 291-299 pl. 14 [291].

  Type species:

   Higginsia coralloides Higgin, 1877 by subsequent designation, see Hallmann, E.F. 1917. A revision of the genera with microscleres included, or provisionally included, in the family Axinellidae, with descriptions of some Australian species. Part 3. Proceedings of the Linnean Society of New South Wales 41: 634-675 4 figs pls 29/3, 5-6, 33/6, 38/5 [656].
• Dendropsis Ridley, S.O. & Dendy, A. 1886. Preliminary report on the Monaxonida collected by H.M.S. Challenger. Annals and Magazine of Natural History 5 18: 325-351, 470-493 [483].

  Type species:

   Dendropsis bidentifera Ridley & Dendy, 1886 by monotypy.

Taxonomic Decision for Synonymy

• Hallmann, E.F. 1917. A revision of the genera with microscleres included, or provisionally included, in the family Axinellidae, with descriptions of some Australian species. Part 3. Proceedings of the Linnean Society of New South Wales 41: 634-675 4 figs pls 29/3, 5-6, 33/6, 38/5 [655]
• van Soest, R.W.M. & Hooper, J.N.A. 2005. Resurrection of Desmoxya (Porifera: Halichondrida), with the description of a new species from Rockall Bank bathyal coral reefs, North Atlantic. Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom 85: 1367-1371 [1367]

Distribution

States

New South Wales, Northern Territory, Queensland, Victoria, Western Australia

Extra Distribution Information

Amphi-Atlantic, Mediterranean Sea, Red Sea, S Africa, W and E Indian Ocean, Indo-Malayan region, W and E Pacific Ocean.

IMCRA

Timor Transition (1), Northern Shelf Province (25), Northwest Shelf Transition (26), Northwest Shelf Province (27), Western Bass Strait Shelf Transition (34), Bass Strait Shelf Province (35), Southeast Shelf Transition (37), Central Eastern Shelf Province (38), Central Eastern Shelf Transition (39), Northeast Shelf Province (40), Northeast Shelf Transition (41)

Distribution References

Diagnosis

Higginsia sensu stricto was restricted to include only those former Higginsia species that display an elaborate skeleton with axial and extra-axial components, as well as a differentiation in megascleres into distinct stylote and oxeote spicules (one exception, Higginsia thielei Topsent, 1904 has an elaborate reticulate skeleton of oxeas as the only megasclere type). The acanthoxeas usually are centrangulate, but this may be indistinct in some species (Van Soest & Hooper 2005).

Emended from Hooper (2002): Growth forms erect, lamellate, massive, vasiform or lobate; surface conulose, papillose, often silt covered or membraneous. Choanosomal skeleton predominantly with an elaborate system of bundles of megascleres with axial and extra-axial reticulate or plumo-reticulate region (compared to a compressed axis and a radial, non-plumose extra-axial region in Dendropsis), to a lax plumose or plumo-reticulate structure, without axial compression or regional differentiation of the skeleton in Desmoxya); spongin fibres usually poorly developed although heavy collagen forms the mesohyl, usually with numerous megascleres and microscleres scattered between main skeletal tracts; all skeletal tracts cored by robust oxeas and styles, or sometimes modified further to strongylote megascleres with bifurcated points. Ectosome with a protruding extra-axial skeleton composed of longer oxeas and styles, and smaller oxeas/styles forming sparse brushes or tangential layers on the surface. Megascleres oxeas (sometimes strongyles) and styles of 1–3 sizes. Microscleres spined, centrangulate curved or straight microxeas, and sometimes also raphides occurring singly or in bundles (trichodragmata).

ID Keys

See Family Desmoxyidae Diagnosis

Diagnosis References

Hooper, J.N.A. 2002. Family Desmoxyidae Hallmann, 1916. pp. 755-772 in Hooper, J.N.A. & van Soest, R.W.M. (eds). Systema Porifera: A guide to the classification of sponges. New York : Kluwer Academic/Plenum Publishers Vol. 1. [763]

van Soest, R.W.M. & Hooper, J.N.A. 2005. Resurrection of Desmoxya (Porifera: Halichondrida), with the description of a new species from Rockall Bank bathyal coral reefs, North Atlantic. Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom 85: 1367-1371 [1371]

History of changes

• Higginsia coralloides massalis Carter, H.J. 1885. Description of sponges from the neighbourhood of Port Phillip Heads, South Australia. Annals and Magazine of Natural History 5 16: 347-368 [357].

  Type data:

   Holotype BMNH 1886.12.15.122 (NMV photo 37/17 - egaz), 20 m, Port Phillip Heads, VIC [38°07'S 144°48'E].

Distribution

States

Northern Territory, Victoria, Western Australia

Extra Distribution Information

Port Phillip Heads, also New Caledonia.

IMCRA

Timor Transition (1), Northern Shelf Province (25), Northwest Shelf Transition (26), Northwest Shelf Province (27), Western Bass Strait Shelf Transition (34), Bass Strait Shelf Province (35), Southeast Shelf Transition (37)

Ecological Descriptors

Filter-feeder, marine, sessile.

General References

Hooper, J.N.A., Capon, R.J., Keenan, C.P., Parry, D.L. & Smit, N. 1992. Chemotaxonomy of marine sponges: families Microcionidae, Raspailiidae and Axinellidae, and their relationships with other families in the orders Poecilosclerida and Axinellida (Porifera: Demospongiae). Invertebrate Taxonomy 6(2): 261-301 [265]

Hooper, J.N.A. & Lévi, C. 1993. Axinellida from the New Caledonian lagoon (Porifera: Demospongiae). Invertebrate Taxonomy 7(6): 1395-1472

Wiedenmayer, F. 1989. Demospongiae (Porifera) from northern Bass Strait (Shelf of Southern Australia). Memoirs of Museum Victoria 50(1): 1-242

History of changes

• Higginsia scabra Whitelegge, T. 1907. Sponges. Part I (Addenda). Part 2. Memoirs of the Australian Museum 4: 487-515 pls 45-46 [511].

  Type data:

   Lectotype AM Z480 wet (NMV photos 11/9,10 - egaz), 55–71 m, off Port Jackson, NSW [33°51'S 151°15'E].
  Paralectotype(s) AM G4361 dry (NMV photos 7/17,18).

Distribution

States

New South Wales, Queensland, Western Australia

Extra Distribution Information

Port Jackson.

IMCRA

Northwest Shelf Province (27), Central Eastern Shelf Transition (39), Northeast Shelf Province (40), Northeast Shelf Transition (41)

Ecological Descriptors

Filter-feeder, marine, sessile.

General References

Hooper, J.N.A., Capon, R.J., Keenan, C.P., Parry, D.L. & Smit, N. 1992. Chemotaxonomy of marine sponges: families Microcionidae, Raspailiidae and Axinellidae, and their relationships with other families in the orders Poecilosclerida and Axinellida (Porifera: Demospongiae). Invertebrate Taxonomy 6(2): 261-301 [265]

Wiedenmayer, F. 1989. Demospongiae (Porifera) from northern Bass Strait (Shelf of Southern Australia). Memoirs of Museum Victoria 50(1): 1-242

History of changes

• Spongia strigilata Lamarck, J.B.P.A. de Monet 1814. Sur les polypiers empâtés. Annales du Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle. Paris 20: 294-312, 370-386, 432-458 [450].

  Type data:

   Holotype MNHN Paris LBIM DT637, unknown, suspected to be Australia.

  Secondary source:

   Topsent, E. 1932. Eponges de Lamarck conservées au Muséum de Paris. Deuxième partie. Archives du Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Paris 6 8: 61-124 2 figs pls 1-6 [112].
• Higginsia coralloides Higgin, T.H. 1877. Description of some sponges obtained during a cruise of the steamyacht Argo in the Caribbean and neighbouring seas. Annals and Magazine of Natural History 4 19: 291-299 pl. 14 [291].

  Type data:

   Holotype (formerly in LFM, unknown after 1941 - egaz), Grenada, Caribbean [12°07'38"N 61°40'24"W].

Taxonomic Decision for Synonymy

• Wiedenmayer, F. 1977. Shallow-water Sponges of the Western Bahamas. Basel : Birkhäuser (Experientia Suppl. 28) 287 pp. 43 pls. [156]

Distribution

States

New South Wales, Victoria

Extra Distribution Information

Port Jackson, Port Phillip Heads, also amphi-Atlantic and Indo-Malayan region.

IMCRA

Western Bass Strait Shelf Transition (34), Bass Strait Shelf Province (35), Southeast Shelf Transition (37), Central Eastern Shelf Province (38)

Ecological Descriptors

Filter-feeder, marine, sessile.

Extra Ecological Information

Depth subtidal–70 m.

General References

Desqueyroux-Faundez, R. 1981. Révision de la collection d'Eponges d'Amboine (Moluques, Indonésie) constituée par Bedot et Pictet et conservée au Muséum d'Histoire naturelle de Genève. Revue Suisse de Zoologie 88: 723-764 [737]

Hallmann, E.F. 1917. A revision of the genera with microscleres included, or provisionally included, in the family Axinellidae, with descriptions of some Australian species. Part 3. Proceedings of the Linnean Society of New South Wales 41: 634-675 4 figs pls 29/3, 5-6, 33/6, 38/5 [665]

Hooper, J.N.A. & Lévi, C. 1993. Axinellida from the New Caledonian lagoon (Porifera: Demospongiae). Invertebrate Taxonomy 7(6): 1395-1472 (holotype figured)

History of changes